An Open Letter from Cathy Maxwell to Lisa Loopner

I knew that when I asked one of my very very favorite authors, Cathy Maxwell, author of one of my very very favorite books,The Marriage Contract, to come over and celebrate her favorite Girl Who Wears Glasses in honor of the release ofOne Good Earl Deserves a Lover, I knew that the always hilarious Ms. Maxwell would have someone fabulous to celebrate...and boy was I right.

When she told me she'd chosen Lisa Loopner (the nerdy Saturday Night Live character played by the unparalleled Gilda Radner), I laughed out loud and clapped my hands. And I'm so so happy to share it with you!

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Dear Lisa Loopner—

Thank you for being a nerd. Thank you for being earnest and naïve and corny. Thank you for letting your glasses slide down your nose, and punching ‘em up with one finger when you say to Todd, “That was so funny, I forgot to laugh.”

Thank you for wanting to please your mother and for performing even when what you were doing—piano recital, science experiment, whatever-wasn’t perfect. Thank you for thinking stuff like Star Trek, the yearbook, and being on the debate team were interesting.

Thank you being both klutzy and wise, for being ordinary . . . and also extraordinary.

I know you are a character in a skit. Everyone is supposed to laugh at you. I laughed, but I also recognized pieces of myself. The best humor is that rooted in reality. You had me pegged and I must confess to you, I’m happy I am the way I am.

Like you, I didn’t worry much about what other people thought. Neither did my friends and today, we are where we are because we were nerds. I figured out that this is my life to live, no one else’s. There are those who will make fun, but they are standing on the sidelines. I’m not; I’m in the game. I may have been klutzy and silly, but all of that was just the launching pad for where I knew I wanted to go. So I laugh, but I’m laughing with you, Lisa.

And you know that guy like Todd? He turned out pretty good, too.

Sincerely,

Cathy Maxwell

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Thank you so much for hanging out with us today, Cathy!

Your turn, readers! Tell Cathy and me about your favorite nerd (bespectacled or not) in comments, and one lucky commenter will win a copy of Cathy's latest, The Scottish Witch! (US only)